TravelwithIgorhttps://travelwithigor.wordpress.com
Expeditions - explorations - adventuresMon, 04 Dec 2017 01:16:46 +0000enhourly1http://wordpress.com/https://s2.wp.com/i/buttonw-com.pngTravelwithIgorhttps://travelwithigor.wordpress.com
Oldest bar in Amsterdam buys monkeys from sailorshttps://travelwithigor.wordpress.com/2017/11/15/the-oldest-bar-in-amsterdam-where-you-can-sell-monkeys-for-beer-and-food/
https://travelwithigor.wordpress.com/2017/11/15/the-oldest-bar-in-amsterdam-where-you-can-sell-monkeys-for-beer-and-food/#commentsWed, 15 Nov 2017 03:51:46 +0000http://travelwithigor.wordpress.com/?p=6072More Oldest bar in Amsterdam buys monkeys from sailors]]>Naked woman behind the windows, drunk people on the streets and the smell of weed on every corner. Welcome in Amsterdam – the city of chaos, drugs and sex. Many people love to go there. But it’s also overwhelming! So sometimes you want to escape to a more quiet place. I will tell you a secret about the oldest and craziest bar in the city. The ”In’t Aepjen” bar is a hidden gem for every tourist. Here comes the secret: During the Golden Age of the Dutch Empire the sailors offered monkeys for food and drinks. So if you have a monkey… try to sell it for some Dutch Jenever! DCIM100GOPROGOPR4369.

In 1452 Amsterdam was destroyed by a fire and all the wooden buildings were burned down. One of the buildings that survived is ‘‘In’t Aepjen” bar. The name means ”In the Monkeys”, because in the past lot of Dutch sailors came back from colonies and had some monkey pets with them.

Photographer: Ljubica Andjelic

When the ”pirates” spend their money on beer and prostitutes they payed their bills with the animals. So many monkeys became a part of the ”In’t Aepjen” bar. But there was one problem…. The fleas were everywhere! All the monkeys were playing around at the place and the bar was also a guesthouse for travelers. The guests began to complain about the fleas. So the owner sold the monkeys to a regular customer who had an animal garden. Now it’s the famous Artis Zoo in Amsterdam.

If you visit the ”In’t Aepjen” bar you will be surrounded by statues, pictures and paintings of monkeys that are looking at you from every corner. If you look at the big monkey statue you can see some stairs. But it’s not possible to go up. Who knows maybe there is still a cage with a trapped monkey inside of it! After some local beer or Jenever (Dutch gin) you can go to explore all the ancient pictures and maybe find some answers about this old place.

DCIM100GOPROGOPR4388.

How much do you think was a monkey worth in the Golden Times of the Dutch Empire?

]]>https://travelwithigor.wordpress.com/2017/11/15/the-oldest-bar-in-amsterdam-where-you-can-sell-monkeys-for-beer-and-food/feed/222140065_1671521136194254_1572741171_otravelwithigorDCIM100GOPROGOPR4369.22140065_1671521136194254_1572741171_oDCIM100GOPROGOPR4388.Szimpla Kert ruin bar in Budapesthttps://travelwithigor.wordpress.com/2017/09/28/szimpla-kert-ruin-bar-in-budapest/
https://travelwithigor.wordpress.com/2017/09/28/szimpla-kert-ruin-bar-in-budapest/#commentsThu, 28 Sep 2017 01:40:35 +0000http://travelwithigor.wordpress.com/?p=5981More Szimpla Kert ruin bar in Budapest]]>If you are in Budapest don’t miss the Szimpla Kert bar. It’s a ruin bar in an old building that was recovered from the damage of World War II. People from all over the world visit this open bar to connect and have a drink together!

When we enter the bar we are surprised by the crazy interior. You can find everything… From crazy sculptures to cars and bikes where you can sit on. I was even sitting on a ski seat, looking at a random potty hanging on the wall. It’s a drunken paradise!

It’s time to explore the bar. We climb up the stairs to the first floor. We spot a camera filming the place. You can follow the party LIVE from home. People are laughing, drinking beer and enjoying their time. We also go to order some beer. Cheers!

Later it’s time to try some local Shisha. The place is perfect to relax and have some chat with your friends. It’s even possible to find a piano or some lost guitars hanging on the walls. So if you like old buildings and beer with a lot of crazy stuff you will have fun for sure. Enjoy Budapest!

What is the best bar in Budapest that you visit?

]]>https://travelwithigor.wordpress.com/2017/09/28/szimpla-kert-ruin-bar-in-budapest/feed/8image2travelwithigorimage1Hiking in Krka National Park (Croatia)https://travelwithigor.wordpress.com/2017/09/17/hiking-in-krka-national-park-croatia/
https://travelwithigor.wordpress.com/2017/09/17/hiking-in-krka-national-park-croatia/#commentsSun, 17 Sep 2017 00:07:03 +0000http://travelwithigor.wordpress.com/?p=5342More Hiking in Krka National Park (Croatia)]]>Croatia is a beautiful country with his green forests, mountains and blue sea. That’s why you can’t miss the Krka National Park. It’s a place where you can discover a diversity of flora and fauna. So my friends and I hopped on a bus to explore this place!

We arrive at a small village and buy some tickets to go on board. After an hour waiting we are finally sitting on the deck of the boat. We leave the small village behind us and go further into the big lake.

We are chilling in the sun. The sound of the engine makes us relaxed and we sit on the deck and enjoy the moment. We are now part of the surroundings you see often on postcards from Croatia. We entered the famous Krka National Park!

The group splits. I go with two friends to explore the path leading to the hills. And the other two guys take the down road so we can share later the experience. The nature surrounds us when we walk up the hill. We choose this path on purpose, because there are less tourists and we don’t regret it!

The path ends and a big lake welcomes us. There is like an open spot so we have the same plan when we see it… ”Let’s jump!” We know it’s not wise, because we don’t know what’s on the bottom and you need to be careful for the rocks. But we go for it!

Everything goes well and the water is refreshing after a long hike. We see also some other people chilling in silence. If you visit Krka National park and you want to have a spot to relax in the nature… Follow your own path and don’t go to the main route that the most tourists follow.

When we are done with swimming we continue our search for the famous waterfalls. We walk and there is a sign with a picture of a snake. Now we walk more careful! Luckily we find only some fish.

It’s an unforgettable experience to swim when you have a waterfall behind your back. It’s also more difficult because of the water flow. Also the stones on the bottom are slippy, so mind your step. Remember that you are not allowed to swim to the big waterfall. I wanted to do it. But there was a problem… The guys on the pontoon were guarding it. But if you want to sit under a waterfall – there is a hidden cave that you will find for sure!

]]>https://travelwithigor.wordpress.com/2017/09/17/hiking-in-krka-national-park-croatia/feed/6DCIM100GOPROGOPR4039.travelwithigorIMG_7532IMG_5026Travel back in time at Klis Fortress (Croatia)https://travelwithigor.wordpress.com/2017/09/03/travel-back-in-time-at-klis-fortress-croatia/
https://travelwithigor.wordpress.com/2017/09/03/travel-back-in-time-at-klis-fortress-croatia/#commentsSun, 03 Sep 2017 02:40:52 +0000http://travelwithigor.wordpress.com/?p=5513More Travel back in time at Klis Fortress (Croatia)]]>You see an eagle in the sky. It looks down at four travelers who wander through the mountain landscape. The sun burns their skin. But they are standing and looking at a flag. It’s flattering surrounded by ancient walls. One of the wanderers takes a sip of his water bottle. That’s me. Im preparing myself for the climb. The mission is to explore the Klis Fortress. We travel back in time to the Medieval age of the Game of Thrones.

We start our climb up and enjoy the rocky surroundings. But our way is blocked by a huge gate. It’s open! But an old man is protecting the gate. We need to give some local gold to him. The guard smiles and we enter the Medieval world – The location where the Game of Thrones was filmed. So we enter the portal where we go back in time.

You can imagine that hundreds years ago you could hear the heavy footsteps of the knights, when they walked on the walls. You could see the archers watching the surroundings and protecting the fortress. I enjoy the moment and feel overwhelmed by the breathtaking view.

When we walk on the walls of the fortress we find a pillory. It’s a Medieval torture device, made of wooden frame with holes securing your head. Ofcourse my friends lock me up, so I can experience the torture device myself. It’s scarry when you think about it… that people humilated you and throw tomatoes or even rocks at your face. I was lucky that my friends didn’t have any tomatoes with them!

During our exploration we find a small museum with a lot of artifacts from the Medieval Age. We are like little boys touching al the weapons we see at that place. We try to fit some Knight equipment. It fits very well. I see almost myself running on the walls with the sword and fighting against the enemy. To be honest I don’t know if it was allowed to touch the ancient equipment. But I think the Knights would let us, because they don’t need it anymore.

We go further to capture the flag and on the way we try to find some hidden spots in the fortress. I wonder if there are still some hidden treasures left. Who knows? But when you go to explore the place you need to be careful, because it’s not always safe where you walk. So mind your step. Also a lot of rooms are in restoration. It was unique that you could go where you want without any signs of warning.

We arrived at the flag and had some moment to relax and enjoy the view. But when we went on our way back we got almost a heart attack. We see some big knights and a princess just walking random towards us. First we were all the time alone and they pop out of nowhere. Than we recognise they are just some actors from the Game of Thrones. So we say Hi to each other and continue our way back to home – living the Medieval fortress behind us.

Do you know a Fortress that worth the visit?

]]>https://travelwithigor.wordpress.com/2017/09/03/travel-back-in-time-at-klis-fortress-croatia/feed/621076968_1599108066813678_1698756603_ntravelwithigor21076968_1599108066813678_1698756603_n21100267_1599129190144899_2062360864_n21074440_1599129220144896_1568141299_n (1)21325631_1609066385817846_849615517_nThe Dead Sea experience in Israelhttps://travelwithigor.wordpress.com/2017/08/17/the-dead-sea-experience-in-israel/
https://travelwithigor.wordpress.com/2017/08/17/the-dead-sea-experience-in-israel/#commentsThu, 17 Aug 2017 17:56:57 +0000http://travelwithigor.wordpress.com/?p=5351More The Dead Sea experience in Israel]]>After the sandy roads of the Negev desert we arrive at the Dead Sea. You can feel the air changing into a breeze of salt. The atmosphere is different than before. That’s because we are at the deepest hypersaline lake in the world – 423 meters below sea-level. First we take some photo’s of the surroundings.Now we are ready to take a bath. But first we need to cross the hot beach!

My little brother and sister run without the flip-flops over the sand. But on the halfway to the sea they notice that the sand becomes hotter. There is no way back! I never saw them running so hard. I prefer to take the time without burning my feet. When you enter the dead sea you need to be careful. Every wound could be pricking if the skin touches the big concentration of salt.

First I try to look for some salt crystals. You can see how the salt attaches to wood, metal or objects that you can find in the water. I heard that you can also find some salt diamonds or salt pearls but than you need to look where less tourists come. I didn’t have the luck to find any. Fishing is also not working, because there is no life in the salty lake. That’s why it’s called the Dead Sea. But I was happy enough to relax in the water. The salt seems to be healthy for your skin so I enjoyed it.

It was finally time to try some swimming. Many people say it’s not possible to swim in the Dead Sea. But I tried it myself and you can do it for sure. But be careful for your eye’s. You don’t want to take a dive in the salty water. It’s a very crazy experience that you can float in it. That’s because of the big amount of salt.

After the bath in the Dead Sea it’s important to take a shower so you get rid of all the salt. It can be irritating for the skin if you don’t wash it away. Especially if you need to travel far back to home. So my advice is to take a good shower.

Do you know a crazy place on earth? ]]>https://travelwithigor.wordpress.com/2017/08/17/the-dead-sea-experience-in-israel/feed/1920840437_1589857841072034_1826639877_ntravelwithigor20839556_1589857817738703_155632822_nDCIM100GOPROGOPR3529.DCIM100GOPROGOPR3552.Jogging in Israel’s Negev Deserthttps://travelwithigor.wordpress.com/2017/07/30/jogging-in-israels-negev-desert/
https://travelwithigor.wordpress.com/2017/07/30/jogging-in-israels-negev-desert/#commentsSun, 30 Jul 2017 16:55:44 +0000http://travelwithigor.wordpress.com/?p=5271More Jogging in Israel’s Negev Desert]]>I open the car door and the sun burns my skin. My eyes are crying for some sunglasses. I go out of the vehicle and put my feet on the sand. It’s hot when it goes into my flip flops. Welcome in the Negev. I try to walk carefully and get my jogging suit out of the car. I change my clothes without touching the hot sand. It would burn my skin. It goes well and I go further into the landscape of the desert.

I look around and see only some hills and experience the ultimate silence of the no man’s land. You can only see the airflow moving. Is it a fata morgana? Or something else. I go further and stop to put my GoPro on. Every movement makes my body sweat. But I promised my friend that I will make a video of me, jogging through the desert. So I click on play and go!

I can hear my footsteps on the sand. My body is moving on it’s own, because my mind is in wonderland of the breathtaking surroundings. I run forward and try to avoid the holes. Also slipping on rocks can be dangerous. PS: Beware for the scorpions! But not the animals are here the danger. It’s the sun that makes you crazy. I begin to see the airflow moving. Is it a Fata Morgana or something else? I click my GoPro on stop. I wake up from my surroundings when my mum calls that it’s time to go. I leave behind the sandy hills and enjoy the car airco!

What would you do in the Negev desert?

]]>https://travelwithigor.wordpress.com/2017/07/30/jogging-in-israels-negev-desert/feed/220562001_1573171606073991_21267586_ntravelwithigor20496531_1573171586073993_1959641021_n20527492_1573171559407329_1051788439_n20496365_1573171629407322_334853967_nCarmel Market in Tel Aviv (Israel)https://travelwithigor.wordpress.com/2017/07/25/carmel-market-in-tel-aviv-israel/
https://travelwithigor.wordpress.com/2017/07/25/carmel-market-in-tel-aviv-israel/#commentsTue, 25 Jul 2017 12:14:46 +0000http://travelwithigor.wordpress.com/?p=5025More Carmel Market in Tel Aviv (Israel)]]>”Shalom, how much is this Jewish kippah?”, I ask the local man at the Carmel Market in Tel Aviv. ‘It’s 10 shekel for you my friend’, says the old man sitting behind his table. ”Bevakasha sir, Im a student and have only seven shekel”, I try to negotiate. ‘No no, it’s 10 shekel. Fair price!’ ”Sorry sir, I have only seven”, I repeat showing him my wallet with only 7 Israeli coins. ‘Oke oke, give 7 shekel.’ ”Toda raba sir! ‘Bevakasha my friend, lehitraot!’ I put the kippah on my head and continue my walk further into the magic world of colourful spices, exotic fruit and antic artifacts. Now I have more the feeling how it is to be Jewish in Israel.

On my left side I see two Jewish men bargaining about some Baklava. In front of my there is a big crowd moving. Sometimes you get at the Carmel Market into a traffic gem but than without cars. I can recognise the other tourists who try to get some Shekel of the price. But the sellers of the Carmel Market know how to spot a tourist. With my kippah I will maybe have some more luck to be treated with fair prices like a local. But I still don’t know enough Hebrew. Probably people like my get something of the price and are happy that they made a good deal. But in reality you are scammed! Or maybe we can call it business…

I walk further and see a table full of spices that can be used for flavoring, coloring or preserving food. A spice is a seed, fruit, root, bark, or other plant substance. The local people collect it from herbs that are leaves, stems or flowers of a plant. You can add it to the Israeli falafel and Shakshuka (Middle Eastern egg dish). The flavour of the dish will become even better!

My parents see the tower of spices and are willing to buy something so we have some special taste into our diner. The men selling the spices welcomes us to smell the fresh scent of the plant substance. It’s smells really good! I can almost taste it with some falafel pita. The men gives us also some nuts and dried fruit to taste. The flavour is really expressive. My parents buy a big bag of spices but forget to bargain and pay too much. The men will probably treat his wife some nice diner!

When I go further I come in wonderland of sweets and candy. I can see my dentist talking how bad all this sugar is for my teeth. But it looks so tasty! I almost want to buy all the halva, baklava, winegums and every sweet looking candy on the table but the force from inside stops me. To be honest the wallet stops me, because I don’t have any Shekel left.

Instead of getting stomach pain from all this candy my father offers me to try some fresh carrot shake. It sounds first Blehh. But in the end it was a refreshing way for the thirst.

What would you buy at the Carmel Market in Tel Aviv?

]]>https://travelwithigor.wordpress.com/2017/07/25/carmel-market-in-tel-aviv-israel/feed/33IMG_4245travelwithigorIMG_4245IMG_4319[1]Boat trip experience on the Sea of Galilee (Israel)https://travelwithigor.wordpress.com/2017/07/20/boat-trip-on-the-sea-of-galilee/
https://travelwithigor.wordpress.com/2017/07/20/boat-trip-on-the-sea-of-galilee/#commentsThu, 20 Jul 2017 01:21:01 +0000http://travelwithigor.wordpress.com/?p=4892More Boat trip experience on the Sea of Galilee (Israel)]]>My brother opens the door of the car. The 37 degrees heat welcomes us. We arrived at Tiberius – the city of the Galilee Sea. It’s a big lake located in Israel where according to ancient stories Jesus Christ walked over water. Many people call it a miracle of the New Testament in the Bible. But our mission is not looking back into history. We want to explore the lowest sweetwater lake on earth. That’s why we begin the search to rent a boat.DCIM100GOPROGOPR3336.

We walk through the old buildings. The sun burns our skin. My sister has a headache and my brother want’s to go back to home. It’s hot! To continue our journey we get some sunburn creme and buy fancy hats to protect ourself against the burning sun. We go further to the shore looking for a place to rent a boat. Looking left and right we finally find a men who is willing to help. For 120 Shekel we can hire a boat for half an hour, but we don’t know how to control a boat….

”It’s easy, don’t worry”, says the Hebrew boat renter. ”Just go!” So we do that. Climbing into the boat my father takes the captains seat. The young guy who probably helps his father with the boat business gives us instructions. We leave the shore behind. It goes well without crashing into the rocks. The view is relaxing.

My father takes his fishing road and tries to catch some fish. I begin to make some photo’s with the new Canyon camera. Sometimes we see big fish flopping out of the water and disappearing again. The maximum depth of the lake is 43 m (141 feet). But it’s even on some places 215 meters below sea level. So there is a chance of catching some really big monsters.

I take over the captains seat and try to learn to control the boat myself. First Im a bit afraid that I crash into other boats. But it goes well. I learn to turn arround and my father can focus on the fishing.

It’s crazy when you think about that on the other side of the lake you are almost in Syria. So we are not far away from the war that still hasn’t ended. I turn around the boat and get the last glimpse of the other side of the lake. It’s time to go back. We couldn’t catch any fish. Probably we hadn’t the right equipment or not enough time. But we could experience the Sea of Galilee.

When you look behind me you see ”something” next to the boat. Is it a fish? Some trash? Maybe something else? I don’t know. During my photo sorting I saw ”it” by accident.

What do you think it is?

]]>https://travelwithigor.wordpress.com/2017/07/20/boat-trip-on-the-sea-of-galilee/feed/8IMG_3725travelwithigorDCIM100GOPROGOPR3336.20187535_1561492677241884_397678922_n20182761_1561492540575231_1839223136_n20196945_1561492473908571_1352400862_nManiana lessons from Wojciech Cejrowskihttps://travelwithigor.wordpress.com/2017/07/12/maniana-lessons-from-wojciech-cejrowski/
https://travelwithigor.wordpress.com/2017/07/12/maniana-lessons-from-wojciech-cejrowski/#respondWed, 12 Jul 2017 11:21:38 +0000http://travelwithigor.wordpress.com/?p=4818More Maniana lessons from Wojciech Cejrowski]]>Wojciech Cejrowski is a traveler and writer who goes barefoot to experience the far unknown places. He is also a presentator of his own Travel Program: ”Boso przez Swiat” on the Polish TV. Wojciech came from America to visit the city Bydgoszczy in Poland. So my girlfriend and I had the chance to get some Maniana lessons from him.

What is Maniana?

”Work as less as you can and enjoy your life all the time.” We are in Europe addicted to work. Especially Polish people are crazy workers who don’t know when to stop. The Polish immigrants in Holland work even 7 days in the week. Just to earn some money. But by all this work we forget sometimes what really is important in life. We forget how to live!

Wojciech Cejrowski says that we even forget the smell of our own mother or father. We are more often with people who are toxic to us and not with friends we love. The chance is even higher that we die during work than in the free time. So why are we working so hard? Is it really so important? Do we need all this stuff we own? Because when you look at the poor country’s. The people are mayby poor from the outside but rich from the inside. They know how to enjoy life and don’t think about tomorrow. That’s what ”Maniana” is.